Bum Phillips says son, Wade, is a ‘Houston boy’ and would be ‘tickled to death’ to work with Texans

NFL.com, citing league sources, reported that former Dallas Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips could surface in Houston as defensive coordinator.

The Texans are expected to shake up their coaching staff in the wake of a disappointing season. Frank Bush Sr. is the current coordinator of a defense that ranks 29th in yards allowed with 380.6 and 30th in points allowed at 27.3.

Phillips was fired after eight games this season and is under contract to the Cowboys through 2011. If Phillips were to get the job with Houston, that would relieve some of Cowboys’ owner-general manager Jerry Jones’ financial obligation to him.

Phillips’ contract is structured so that Jones can subtract his salary from a new club from what the Cowboys’ owe him. Most NFL clubs include this clause in contracts.

Former Oilers and Saints head coach Bum Phillips, Wade’s father, believes his son’s coaching work with the Cowboys was not his last NFL job.

“I know he’s going to coach again,” Phillips said on Wednesday. “Wade don’t know how to enjoy anything except football. A lot of people play golf or gamble or go hunting or fishing. … All he cares about is football. As long as he feels that way, I’m sure he’ll stay in it. If (the Texans) need a coach, I’m sure he’d be tickled to death, and I’m sure they would be, too. Wade’s a Houston boy.”

It goes without saying how Bum would feel about Wade’s joining forces with Kubiak and the Texans.

“That would tickle me to death,” he said.

The Texans have suffered a horrible season defensively, particularly in pass coverage, where they have veered close to becoming the worst team in NFL history based on yards allowed. Wade Phillips, who’s 63, launched his NFL coaching career as one of his dad’s defensive assistants with the Oilers from 1976-80. Over the years he has acquired a reputation among football insiders as a superb defensive strategist.

But he is a staunch disciple of the 3-4 defensive set, while the Texans under Kubiak and current defensive coordinator Frank Bush operate from the 4-3 base. Nonetheless, Bum dismissed that as a non-issue regarding Wade’s qualifications to replace Bush, who’s likely to be fired next week.

Asked if Wade could adapt to coaching a 4-3 team again, Bum said, “Sure. They played the 4-3 a lot of places Wade’s been, like Philadelphia. You play the defense that fits your personnel.”